Sesame Place facts for kids
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| Location | Langhorne, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°11′09″N 74°52′19″W / 40.185808°N 74.871976°W |
| Status | open |
| Opened | July 30, 1980 |
| Owner | SeaWorld Entertainment (under a license from Sesame Workshop) |
| Theme | Sesame Street |
| Slogan | Go Before They Grow |
| Operating season | Year Round |
| Area | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 27 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 9 |
| Website | Sesame Place Home Page |
Sesame Place is a fun theme park and water park located near Philadelphia in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. It's the only theme park in the United States that is completely based on the famous Sesame Street TV show! You can find many rides, shows, and water attractions perfect for younger kids and families. It was also the first theme park in the world to become a certified autism center, making it welcoming for everyone.
Sesame Place is one of 12 theme parks owned by SeaWorld Entertainment. They run the park with a special agreement from Sesame Workshop, which is the non-profit group that owns Sesame Street.
Contents
Discovering Sesame Place
Sesame Place first opened its doors in 1980. It started as a smaller park, just 3 acres (1.2 ha) big. Back then, it had play areas and even computer labs where kids could color their favorite Sesame Street characters. Over the years, it grew a lot! Now, it's 14 acres (5.7 ha) and filled with exciting rides and water fun. One of its biggest updates was in 2014, when Cookie's Monster Land was built.
The park is open for most of the year. You can visit from early May through Halloween for special spooky events. Then, from mid-November through December, it transforms for a very furry Christmas celebration!
A Park for Everyone
Sesame Place is known for being very welcoming to children with autism. On World Autism Awareness Day in 2018, it was announced as the first theme park to be a Certified Autism Center. This means the park has special features and staff training to help guests with autism and other thinking differences have a great time.
In 2007, Sesame Place also became the first theme park in Pennsylvania to be completely smoke-free. This helps keep the air clean and healthy for all visitors.
Other Sesame Street Parks
Sesame Place in Pennsylvania is part of a larger family of parks run by SeaWorld Entertainment. Other famous parks they operate include SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
The park's ownership has changed a few times. Originally, Sesame Workshop owned it. Then, Anheuser-Busch bought the park in 1987. Later, in 2009, a company called The Blackstone Group bought many of these parks and created SeaWorld Entertainment to manage them. After this, some kiddie areas in other SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks even got Sesame Street themes!
Other Sesame Place parks have opened in different places around the world. A second park opened in Irving, Texas in 1982, but it closed a few years later. There was also a park in Tokyo, Japan, which was open from 1990 to 2006. In 2017, plans for a new Sesame Place park were announced. By 2019, it was confirmed that Aquatica San Diego in San Diego, California, would become a new Sesame Place park by spring 2021.
Beyond the Sesame Place parks, other theme parks around the world also have Sesame Street areas. For example, Parque Plaza Sesamo in Monterrey, Mexico, is a very popular park with a Sesame Street theme. PortAventura Park in Salou, Spain, has an area called SésamoAventura. And Universal Studios Japan has a Sesame Street section in its Universal Wonderland area.
Exciting Attractions
Sesame Place has many different rides and attractions! They are split into categories based on when you can ride them. Dry rides are open during most seasons, including spring, summer, Halloween, and Christmas. Water rides are only open in the summer, usually from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Some special rides only open during holiday events.
Sesame Plaza Fun
This is the main entrance area of the park.
| Name | Manufacturer | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor Trail | Vekoma | 1998 | A roller coaster themed like Super Grover. It has fun twists and turns for the whole family. |
Oscar's Wacky Taxi Area
This area features a super fun roller coaster!
| Name | Manufacturer | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar's Wacky Taxi | The Gravity Group | 2018 | A family wooden roller coaster located right near the park's entrance. |
| Big Bird's Tour Bus | TBA | 2020 | A "crazy bus" ride, similar to ones found in many kids' park areas. |
Twiddlebug Land Adventures
This area is themed after the tiny Twiddlebug characters.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mix n' Match Twiddle Tracks | 1993 | A children's train ride that takes you on a journey. |
| Sky Splash | 1995 | A huge raft water slide, over six stories tall! It looks like it's made from giant toys. |
| Slimey's Chutes | 1993 | Two twisty tube water slides where you can ride alone or with a friend. |
| Teeny Tiny Tidal Wave | 1993 | A 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) wave pool, made to look like Ernie's garden hose created it! |
Sesame Island Water Fun
This area is all about water-based attractions.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abby's Paradise Theater | A covered outdoor theater that hosts shows and character meet-and-greets. | |
| Big Bird's Rambling River | 1990 | A slow, relaxing river ride that winds 1,000-foot (300 m) through Sesame Island. |
| Ernie's Waterworks | 1990 | A small, fun area with water to splash and play in. |
| Sand Castle Beach | 1990 | A giant sandbox and playground, just like a beach! |
Sesame Neighborhood Exploration
This area is a full-size copy of the famous Sesame Street! It opened in 1988.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny Day Carousel | 2008 | A classic carousel with horses designed like Sesame Street characters. |
| Sesame Studios | 1980 | An indoor theater where you can watch live shows. |
| Sesame Place Neighborhood Theater | A large outdoor theater that also hosts exciting shows. |
The Count's Court Water Rides
This area is themed after Count von Count and has many water rides.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Count's Splash Castle | 2009 | A huge water play area with over 90 ways to get wet, including a giant 1000-gallon tipping bucket! |
| Sesame Streak | A pair of tube water slides, one for single riders and one for two riders. | |
| Slippery Slopes | Four short, fast water slides that drop into a shallow pool. |
Elmo's World Adventures
This section is themed after Elmo, especially his "Elmo's World" TV segments.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bert & Ernie's Slip & Slide | 1985 | Two twisting body slides that end in a splash pool. |
| Peek-A-Bug | 2006 | A fun ride that rocks and tugs, themed like a peek-a-bug. |
| Blast Off | 2006 | A tower ride that lifts you up high, making you feel like you're traveling to Planet Elmo! |
| Elmo's Cloud Chaser | 2011 | Riders fly around in swings, high in the air. |
| Flyin' Fish | 2006 | An aerial carousel ride where you can fly like a fish. |
| Snuffy's Slides | 1980 | Two long, dry tube slides for kids aged 12 and under. |
Cookie's Monster Land Fun
This area is named after Cookie Monster and opened in 2014.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Cookie's High C's Adventure | 2014 | Pirate ships that go around a track, moving up and down. |
| Oscar's Rusty Rotten Rockets | 2014 | A whip-like ride where you sit in hanging garbage can-shaped rockets. |
| Honker Dinger Derby | 2014 | A spinning ride that used to be at Busch Gardens Tampa. |
| Monster Mix-up | 2002 | A classic teacup ride where you can spin around. |
| Flying Cookie Jars | 2002 | A 40-foot (12 m) tall tower ride that gives you a great view of the park. |
| Monster Clubhouse | 2014 | A big net-climbing area for active play. |
| Mini Monster Clubhouse | 2014 | A special play area just for smaller children. |
Special Event Rides
These rides are only open during specific holiday events at the park.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| The Castle Swing | A fun swing ride. |
| The Count's Fly By | A smaller version of Elmo's Cloud Chaser, themed after the Count. |
| The Count Around | A classic ferris wheel. |
| The Count's Cruisers | A carousel-style ride with 4x4 cars. |
| Sesame Place Furry Express | A train ride. |
| Twiddlebug Gingerbread Factory | A special holiday re-theme in Twiddlebug Land. |
Shows and Parades
Sesame Place offers many exciting shows and parades throughout the day!
Daily Entertainment
- Neighborhood Street Party Parade - This parade features all your favorite costume characters! They dance and stop along the parade route, inviting everyone to join the fun.
- Elmo the Musical! - Get ready for magic, silly fun, and music in this live show at Sesame Studio. Join Elmo as he puts on a musical!
- The Magic of Art - Abby Cadabby needs help creating art for a show. Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Telly help her learn that art comes in all shapes and sizes, inspiring everyone to use their imagination.
- Our Street is Sesame Street - Sing, dance, and clap along with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Big Bird at the Sesame Street Neighborhood theater.
Holiday Shows and Parades
During special holiday events, you can enjoy unique shows!
The Count's Halloween Spooktacular Shows/Parades:
- The Not Too Spooky Howl-Ween Radio Show! - The Sesame Street characters perform a Halloween broadcast at Abby's Paradise Theater.
- Who Said Boo?! - Join the Sesame Street characters at the Count's Halloween Party, but listen closely for an eerie "BOO!" This show is at the Sesame Street Neighborhood Theater.
- Elmo the Musical- A Halloween Adventure! - A special Halloween version of Elmo's musical show at Sesame Studio.
- Neighborhood Halloween Street Party - A spooky and fun version of the daily parade.
A Very Furry Christmas Shows/Parades:
- Christmas Storytime - Enjoy a festive Christmas story at Mr. Hooper's Emporium.
- Elmo the Musical- A Christmas Adventure! - A special Christmas version of Elmo's musical show at Sesame Studio.
- A Sesame Street Christmas - Help Abby Cadabby learn about the December holidays with her Sesame Street friends.
- Neighborhood Christmas Street Party - A festive and bright Christmas parade.
- Elmo's Christmas Wish
- 1-2-3 Christmas Tree
Meet the Characters!
You can meet many of your favorite Sesame Street friends at the park! Sometimes, families can even have breakfast with the characters before the park opens, though this costs extra. All the Sesame Place characters also march down Sesame Street twice a day in the "Neighborhood Street Party" parade, which includes big floats, dancers, and music.
Current Characters You Can Meet
- Abby Cadabby
- Baby Bear
- Barkley
- Bert
- Big Bird
- Cookie Monster
- Count von Count
- Elmo
- Ernie
- Grover / Super Grover
- A Honker and a Dinger
- Julia
- Kermit the Frog
- Murray Monster
- Oscar the Grouch
- Prairie Dawn
- Rosita
- Snuffleupagus
- Telly Monster
- Zoe
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Sesame Place at the Roller Coaster DataBase
